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Judi Dench Says Advanced Vision Loss Means She Can’t Recognize People

The ITV update confirms years of worsening age-related macular degeneration that has curtailed her career, with growing limits on daily independence.

Overview

  • In a Nov. 25 ITV interview alongside Ian McKellen, the 90-year-old said she "can't see anymore" and can no longer read or watch television.
  • Dench explained she can perceive outlines but "can't recognize anybody anymore," describing severe central vision loss.
  • Diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012, she now relies on others to read scripts aloud and learns lines through repetition.
  • Her deteriorating sight has led her to step back from on-screen work, with no major roles since 2022 aside from occasional appearances.
  • She has said she no longer goes out alone for safety and is supporting, with McKellen, an effort to revitalize Shakespeare teaching in U.K. schools.